Massachusetts · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure
Question 5: what your vote means
State Revenue Limit & Rebate. On every Massachusetts ballot. Official sources checked October 21, 2026.
Question 5 · Law proposed by initiative petition
State Revenue Limit & Rebate
Question 5: Law proposed by initiative petition — State Revenue Limit & Rebate. Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026?
Ballot question as printed in the 2026 Information for Voters, Secretary of the Commonwealth. On the ballot, the Attorney General’s summary (linked below) appears beneath the question.
A YES vote means:
The state’s annual revenue limit would be tied to the prior year’s revenue plus average wage and salary growth, and revenue above the limit would be refunded to taxpayers the next year.
A NO vote means:
The law on state revenue collection would not change.
What it would change
- Who is affected: taxpayers and programs funded by the state budget, including local aid for schools and cities and towns.
- Taxes: revenue from the surtax on incomes over $1 million would count toward the limit.
- Fiscal impact (Executive Office of Administration and Finance): stricter limits on revenue growth would reduce money available for the state budget and for the Stabilization (“rainy day”) Fund, and could change how often refunds are paid.
- Takes effect July 1, 2027, if approved.
Official arguments, summarized
Short neutral summaries of the arguments printed in the official voters’ pamphlet. The committees that wrote them are responsible for their content. Read the full text at the link below.
Argument for
Supporters say the limit would keep state revenue growth in line with what taxpayers can afford and return excess collections to taxpayers.
Written by: Taxpayers for an Affordable Massachusetts · affordablema.org
Argument against
Opponents say the limit would require budget cuts, shrink the rainy day fund, and could lead to higher local property taxes.
Written by: Colette Berard, Protect Massachusetts’ Future · protectmassachusettsfuture.com
Arguments for and against Question 5, 2026 Information for Voters
Who supports it and who opposes it
These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed. Lists checked October 30, 2026.
Who supports it
- Taxpayers for an Affordable Massachusetts Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95536, organized to support Question 5
Who opposes it
- Democratic Socialists Against Austerity Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95545, organized to oppose Question 5
- Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95549, organized to oppose Question 5
- Protect Massachusetts Future Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95540, organized to oppose Question 5
- Raise Up Massachusetts 2026 Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95544, organized to oppose Question 5
Official sources
- 2026 Information for Voters: Question 5 (summary, what your vote will do, fiscal consequences, arguments)
- 2026 Information for Voters (PDF), Question 5, p. 14, including the statement of fiscal consequences by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance
- Full text of the proposed law (PDF, p. 40)
SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.